Sports First Aid Types of Injuries There are two general types of sports injuries. The first is an acute traumatic injury. Acute traumatic injuries occur through a single blow from a single application of force (like getting tackled in football. Examples of acute traumatic injuries include:
a bruise, known medically as a contusion — These are caused by direct blows to the , which may cause swelling and bleeding in muscles and other body tissues
a fracture — a crack, break, or shattering of a bone
a bruise, known medically as a contusion — caused by a direct blow, which may cause swelling and bleeding in muscles and other body tissues
a strain — a stretch or tear of a muscle or tendon, the tough and narrow end of a muscle that connects it to a bone
a sprain — a stretch or tear of a ligament.
an abrasion — a scrape
a laceration — a cut in the surface of the skin that usually the use of stitches in treatment.
The second type of sports injury is known as an overuse or chronic injury. Chronic injuries occur over duration of time. Chronic injuries usually occur because of constant training, such as running, jumping rope, and gymnastics. Examples of overuse or chronic injuries include:
stress fractures — tiny cracks in the bone's surface often caused by repetitive overloading (such as in the feet of a basketball player who is continuously jumping on the court)
tendinitis — inflammation of the tendon caused by repetitive stretching
epiphysitis or apophysitis — growth plate overload injuries such as Osgood-Shlatter Disease
Often overuse injuries seem less important than acute injuries. You may be tempted to ignore that aching in your wrist or that soreness in your knees, but always remember that just because an injury isn't dramatic doesn't mean it's unimportant or will go away on its own. If left untreated, a chronic injury will probably get worse over time.
Head and Neck Injuries Head injuries include concussions, contusions, fractures, and hematomas. A concussion is a violent jarring or shock to the head that causes a temporary jolt to the brain. If severe enough, or recurrent, concussions can cause brain damage but fortunately this is not common in teens. A hematoma is a bleeding or pooling of blood between the tissue layers covering the brain or inside the brain. All of these injuries can be caused by impact to the head from a fall, forceful shaking of the head, a blow to the head, or whiplash. Whiplash is an injury to the neck caused by an abrupt jerking motion of the head.
Back Injuries Back injuries include sprains, fractures, contusions, stress fractures, and strains and are caused by twists or overexertion of back muscles during bending or lifting movements. These injuries can occur in contact sports like football and ice hockey or in weight lifting, figure skating, gymnastics, dancing, baseball, and basketball. Sex Organs
When it comes to injurs to the sex organs, guys usually suffer more trauma than girls because the penis and testicles are outside the body and lack natural ptection during contact sports. Guys should always weare athletic supporters, or in some sports, a cup, to proteche genitals from serious injury.
Injurs to the uterus or ovaries are rare, but breast injuries are common coplaints among teen girls. As the breasts develop, they canoften be sore, and a blow from a softball or a jab from an elbow, for examle, can be painful. Girls should wear suportive sports bras while playing sports or exercising.
Hand and Wist Injuries
Hand, finger, and wrist injuries clude fractures, dislocations, and sprains and often occuin contact sports such as football, lacrosse, and hockey. Hand injries can result from a fall that forces the hand or fingers backward, forceful impact to the hands, or a direct blow.
Foot Injuries Foot injuries can include ligament strains, stress fractures, heel bruises, and swollen growth plates. Becausyour feet support all of your weight and must absorb a lot of force over and over again, they can be particularly susceptible to injury. Another reason some teens may suffer foot injuries are because of differences in their feet. For example, some people have flat feet or high arches. These differences don't mean that sports should be avoided, but it does mean that precautions, such as a special shoe insert, may be needed.
There are two general types of sports injuries. The first is an acute traumatic injury. Acute traumatic injuries occur through a single blow from a single application of force (like getting tackled in football. Examples of acute traumatic injuries include:
- a bruise, known medically as a contusion — These are caused by direct blows to the , which may cause swelling and bleeding in muscles and other body tissues
- a fracture — a crack, break, or shattering of a bone
- a bruise, known medically as a contusion — caused by a direct blow, which may cause swelling and bleeding in muscles and other body tissues
- a strain — a stretch or tear of a muscle or tendon, the tough and narrow end of a muscle that connects it to a bone
- a sprain — a stretch or tear of a ligament.
- an abrasion — a scrape
- a laceration — a cut in the surface of the skin that usually the use of stitches in treatment.
The second type of sports injury is known as an overuse or chronic injury. Chronic injuries occur over duration of time. Chronic injuries usually occur because of constant training, such as running, jumping rope, and gymnastics. Examples of overuse or chronic injuries include:- stress fractures — tiny cracks in the bone's surface often caused by repetitive overloading (such as in the feet of a basketball player who is continuously jumping on the court)
- tendinitis — inflammation of the tendon caused by repetitive stretching
- epiphysitis or apophysitis — growth plate overload injuries such as Osgood-Shlatter Disease
Often overuse injuries seem less important than acute injuries. You may be tempted to ignore that aching in your wrist or that soreness in your knees, but always remember that just because an injury isn't dramatic doesn't mean it's unimportant or will go away on its own. If left untreated, a chronic injury will probably get worse over time.Head and Neck Injuries
Head injuries include concussions, contusions, fractures, and hematomas. A concussion is a violent jarring or shock to the head that causes a temporary jolt to the brain. If severe enough, or recurrent, concussions can cause brain damage but fortunately this is not common in teens. A hematoma is a bleeding or pooling of blood between the tissue layers covering the brain or inside the brain. All of these injuries can be caused by impact to the head from a fall, forceful shaking of the head, a blow to the head, or whiplash. Whiplash is an injury to the neck caused by an abrupt jerking motion of the head.
Back Injuries
Back injuries include sprains, fractures, contusions, stress fractures, and strains and are caused by twists or overexertion of back muscles during bending or lifting movements. These injuries can occur in contact sports like football and ice hockey or in weight lifting, figure skating, gymnastics, dancing, baseball, and basketball.
Sex Organs
When it comes to injurs to the sex organs, guys usually suffer more trauma than girls because the penis and testicles are outside the body and lack natural ptection during contact sports. Guys should always weare athletic supporters, or in some sports, a cup, to proteche genitals from serious injury.
Injurs to the uterus or ovaries are rare, but breast injuries are common coplaints among teen girls. As the breasts develop, they canoften be sore, and a blow from a softball or a jab from an elbow, for examle, can be painful. Girls should wear suportive sports bras while playing sports or exercising.
Hand and Wist Injuries
Hand, finger, and wrist injuries clude fractures, dislocations, and sprains and often occuin contact sports such as football, lacrosse, and hockey. Hand injries can result from a fall that forces the hand or fingers backward, forceful impact to the hands, or a direct blow.
Foot Injuries Foot injuries can include ligament strains, stress fractures, heel bruises, and swollen growth plates. Becausyour feet support all of your weight and must absorb a lot of force over and over again, they can be particularly susceptible to injury. Another reason some teens may suffer foot injuries are because of differences in their feet. For example, some people have flat feet or high arches. These differences don't mean that sports should be avoided, but it does mean that precautions, such as a special shoe insert, may be needed.
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